Grocery Store Gabbing--communication during daily routines

Lately, I've had several opportunities to go to the grocery store with my youngest child, 18 month old Logan. This is a rare, rare treat, as usually I have at least two of my children with me, and never with my baby boy alone! Being a busy family, I always find going to the grocery store a great time to catch up with the "big kids" (even though, yes, I would prefer to shop alone), but being alone with Logan made me realize what a great time it is to communicate with my little one too! Here are some ideas for the grocery store: 1. Take turns vocalizing with your child--the grocery store is a stimulating environment, and likely to get your child babbling. If he says "oo-da-da-ba-ga!", say something back to him! Practice this early form of conversation. 2. Talk to your child about what you're buying--"apples, bananas, carrots, cereal, crackers, milk, cheese". See if your child tries to imitate any of the words or signs. 3. Point out interesting items to your child--at the store I go to, the pet section is near the grocery section, which means we always have to look at the fish! Say to your little one, "Look at the fish!" while pointing to the fish tanks. Encourage your child to look, and smack your lips like a fish. See if he'll imitate you. 4. Talk about how things feel--if you get something out of the freezer, have him touch it and say "oooh, cold!". or maybe you'll get a rough kiwi, shiny apple, or soft bread. 5. Practice sound imitation--Mom says "bababa", child says "bababa". Mom says "mamama", child says "mamama" etc. If possible, keep your trip short--most kids will only last a half hour before the first tantrum hits! Have fun and enjoy these precious moments. Happy Talking! Where is your favorie place to take your children shopping? Your least favorite place?

Signing Sick Day! "Fish"

Another day home with sick kids!  These sick days seem to be the time for me to catch up on blogging!  Today's video is the sign for fish, which is wiggling your hand through the air like a fish swims through the water. 

While you're at it, have your child practice smacking his lips together to make a "fish sound".  Look at books to try to find pictures of fish.  Ask your child simple questions such as "What's that?" ("fish"), "What does a fish say?" (smack lips), and "Where's the fish?" or "Show me the fish." 

Lets Roll: using toiletries as toys

I'll probably never go into someone's home for a speech session and say, "Hey, let's go to the bathroom and play with toilet paper!" Parents, you'd send me on my way, right? But as a mama myself, I know that when you're trying to put your make-up on in the morning, you need to occupy your little one for at least a few minutes. My one year old tends to occupy himself, usually by digging through the cabinets and drawers to find all sorts of exciting no-no's. So, why not make life easier and give them some yes-yes's to play with! One great idea is several rolls of toilet paper! Stacking is a great motor skill, and you can practice the vocabulary words "up, on" as they stack, and then "ready, set, go" before the tower gets knocked down, then "down" as they all come tumbling to the floor. Of course, he might think it's great fun to start tearing off pieces of toilet paper to hand to you. Really, who cares, as long as he's not using up an entire roll! As he hands you pieces you can model "more", "piece", "little." And again, tearing off those little pieces is great fine motor practice! Your kiddo is going to think he is something else for getting to play with an off-limits "toy"--and usually those are the kind that keep their attention the longest! So sip your coffee, put on your mascara, and enjoy the morning:) Happy Talking!

Sit dog, sit! Using the family pet to develop language

A few posts back, I think I wrote something along the lines of "never, ever, ever (ever, ever) wanting a dog." Well, sometime this summer that changed, and all I could think about was wanting a dog! So after some persuading the hubby, we got Bodi, a fluffy black Cockapoo with a sweet heart, sloppy kisses, and sharp little teeth. I had to quickly teach my kids the appropriate way to show him who is boss. So, within the past three weeks my children have heard me say "down" and "sit" about 3,000,000 times. And guess what, my 16 month old now looks at Bodi and says "da" (down) and "tit" (sit), words he was not saying before. Repetition, repetition, repetition! Sometimes a child needs to hear a word many times before he will try to say it, and then he will have to say it many times before he can pronounce it correctly. So if there is a word you really want your child to say, make sure he hears you say it frequently! And if it is a really hard word, find a way to simplify it, such as nana/banana, papa/grandpa, or tato/potato. Accept a close approximation of the word (da/down), and praise him for his attempts! What word do you really want your child to say? Happy Talking!

Signing Sick Day

Back in May, all three of my kids were sick for an entire week.  It meant a lot of missed work, a lot of running to the doctor, and a lot of snuggling on the couch with my poor, sick babes.  I fully intended to take the week off of blogging, and return to writing the following week.  But, well, you know, life happens.  Memorial Day, weddings, summer, birthdays, etc.  Before you know it, it's been over two months since I've written a blog post!  My promise to myself is to return to doing 1-2 blog posts a week, and starting off with "signing sick day", in honor of the reason I "fell off the bloggin wagon" to begin with.  The sign for this week is sick, which I believe can also be used for "hurt." 

Here's hoping your family's are staying healthy this summer.  Ironically as I write this, my youngest is sick, again....

Waiting on the sibs: How to communicate during your busy day!

I work full time.  I have three kids, ages 4, 3, 1.  My oldest two children are already involved in extracurricular activities, like swimming and gymnastics.  As I'm sure many of you mama's of more than one child agree, giving baby #3 his fair share of attention isn't always easy.  Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't just sit and play with him enough, but then reminded myself to practice what I preach!  Turn the time you have with your kids into quality time!

So here is how I turned waiting for big sib at gymnastics into language learning time for Logan. 

• We had brought a blanket in to sit on, which turned into a game of peek-a-boo.  Social interaction, turn-taking, action imitation, and sound imitation.
• Body part identication--"where's Logie's head?  There it is!" while patting his head (using a really excited tone of voice by the way--the other parents were probably so annoyed with me).  After a few trials, when I said "where's your head", by golly little Logie reached up and touched his own head!  We started the game for "belly" too before little man lost interest. 

But, those two little activities alone added up to a good 15 minutes of interaction.  We laughed, smiled, felt connected, and had fun--and hopefully next time I say "where's your head", Logan will reach up and pat his sweet little noggin. 

Signing Saturday: Mom

In honor of Mother's Day, your sign of the week is "Mom".  You can ask your child "Who am I?" and cue them to sign "mom."  Also model saying "mama" at the same time. Touch your lips, or have your child touch her lips, to cue pressing the lips together for /m/. 

Happy Mother's Day!!

Rock a bye baby

http://americangirl.wikia.com/wiki/Bitty_Baby

What it is: baby doll and accessories. My favorite accessories include pretend bottles, sippy cup, spoon, bowl, soap bottle, wash rag, diaper, and blanket.

Where to get it:  Ok, this is pretty obvious.  You can get baby dolls pretty much anywhere!  At Toys R Us I've found great "baby kits"--little plastic bags already filled with all of the baby accessories.  They also have cool stuff like toy bathtubs, strollers, high chairs, etc.  Your child can be playing Mommy in no time!  This prices aren't too bad either, around $10.00-$15.00.

What to do with it:  Playing with baby is a great receptive language activity.  You can have your child identify items ("Give me the rag, where's the bottle?");  follow directions ("Give baby something to eat; wash baby's face). 

You can also target expressive vocabulary, including action words (wash, eat, drink, sleep, rock, etc), body parts, and clothing items (if your baby doll has clothes). 

You can have two dolls, and have your child tell you what to do with your doll.  This can be done in single words or phrases ("eat" or "baby eat")

Sound imitation can include "wah-wah", mama, dada, baba (bottle), eating noises, drinking noises, "pee-eww" (for a pretend stinky diaper).

Action imitation can include rocking baby, hugging baby, kissing baby, feeding baby, changing baby's diaper, patting her back, etc.

Playing with baby dolls is such a great activity for boys, girls, and parents!  What is your favorite baby accessory?  (Mine is using a real newborn size diaper to put on and off the baby).

Signing Saturday: Cracker

This is a great sign for your child to learn if they are beyond using the sign "more" to request.  Using "cracker" he can become more specific as to what he wants to eat!  To teach the sign, show him a cracker, model the sign, and have him sign it back to you before giving him the cracker.  If you do this enough times, hopefully soon your child will be standing in front of the pantry door, frantically signing cracker! 

Signing Saturday: Baby

 This week's sign is "baby".  Very easy, just like you're rocking a baby!  

Another post will be coming soon on more things you can do when you're playing with baby dolls!  Have a great weekend!

Signing Saturday: Bird

Today's sign is for "bird".  While having your child practice the sign, you can also model saying "t-t-t-t" and see if he can imitate you.  Once they can do that, make it a little harder and model "tee-tee-tee".  And when that is mastered, you can  make it harder still and model "tweet-tweet". 

Hopefully it will be warm enough soon that you can actually go outside and listen to the birds sing!! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Bath time Babbling: How to Communicate During Daily Routines

One point I press upon the families I work with is that you Do Not need to sit down with your child for an hour of "therapy" per day to teach your child to communicate.  What is more important, and more beneficial to your child's communication, is using your daily routines to teach language.   

Bathtime is a prime example of this, as it is rich with communication opportunities.  Plus, hopefully your  child is taking a bath most days of the week, making it a frequently occuring routine!  Here are 20 ideas for bathtime language learning:

1.  Clothes off
2.  Water on
3.  Water off
4.  Water hot
5.  In tub
6.  Toys please
7.  Bubbles
8.  More bubbles
9.  More toys
10.  Pop!  (bubbles)
11.  Wash face (arms, legs, feet, hands, hair, ears, tummy, etc)
12.  Soap on rag
13.  Get out your stacking cups and the options continue--water in, water out, full cup, empty cup, splash...
14.  Wet hair
15.  Out of tub
16.  Get dry
17.  Diaper on
18.  Pajamas on--head in, arms in, legs in
19.  Dry hair
20.  I was cold, now I'm warm!

Most of these suggestions focus on teaching concepts (in, out, on, off, hot, full, empty, warm, cold), as well as a few sound effects (pop, splash), requests (more, please), and vocabulary words (tub, toys, body parts, rag, diaper, pajamas, bubbles).  One thing I enjoy doing with my little guy who is learning to talk is to babble back and forth with him.  He LOVES bathtime, and vocalizes frequently in the tub.  Plus, he's stuck in a tub, and can't run away for me!  So he babbles "didabidada", and I say, "oh yeah, didadadadi", and he babbles something back at me.  I have no agenda other than having fun "conversing" with him.  It is great practice for him to use speech sounds and take turns in a conversation! 

Happy Splashing this week!   

What is your favorite tip for communicating during bathtime? 

Signing Saturday: Dog

I think 90% of the families I work with own a dog, which is why I chose "dog" as the sign for this week.  Plus, most kids are obsessed with their dog, making it a powerful word as well!  The sign for dog is to pat your leg, and then snap your fingers.  Well, I have yet to meet a 1 or 2 year old who can snap their fingers, so I teach the sign simply by tapping my leg.  Easy-peasy!  While you're at it, have you child imitate a panting noise (much easier than woof-woof), or if they are able, work on "wuh-wuh", or if they are really talking you can do "woof-woof". 

Happy signing! 

(http://freetopwallpaper.com/category/puppy/)

Side note:  I want nothing to do with owning a dog, but this picture is cute enough to almost make me want one! 

Signing Sunday: Bunny

In honor of Easter Sunday I bring you the sign for "bunny" so you can talk about the Easter Bunny with your little one! 

http://www.redgage.com/photos/daycareschool/sign-language-bunny-rabbit.html

While you're at it, sort eggs by color or size, count eggs, and hide eggs.  Practice quesions such as "where's egg?",  "there it is!".  Have you child try to scrunch up his nose like a bunny, or hop around like a bunny.  Have fun and Happy Easter! 

First words: Teach your child to say "up!"

The first words a child learns to say are typically the most important people ("mama, dada") and things ("milk", "dog") in their environment. "Powerful words" are another category of words that develop early, and include words like "more, done, go, up".  These are learned so quickly because they really teach the child the power of communicating--I say this word, and my wants/needs get met.

Teach your child to say "up":

• When your child is reaching his arms up and screaming, don't just bend down and pick him up, model saying "Up!" while you pick him up.
• After doing this 10-20 or maybe 100 times, your child will hopefully get the idea and start to say "uh" for "up".  Once he is doing this, don't pick him up unless he says "uh" first.
• Eventually he will learn to say "up" correctly, but a child can be two years old before putting the final consonant, in this case /p/, on a word. 
• As soon as possible, fade out modeling the word "up" so that he starts making the request spontaneously. 

Signing snow day!! How to sign "snow"

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/11/sign-of-the-week-snow/

I missed "Signing Saturday" this week due to celebrating the first birthday of my youngest child!  So today I decided to bring you "Signing Snow Day" in honor of the 9 inches of snow that fell last night!  And what better sign to learn than the sign for "snow".  So enjoy looking outside with your child and talking about the snow.  Or, get your snow pants on and play like a kid with your kids! 

How much sleep does my child need?

The following is taken from:  http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/sleep-children

The amount of sleep a child needs varies depending on the individual and certain factors, including the age of the child. Following are some general guidelines:

1-4 Weeks Old: 15 - 16 hours per day

Newborns typically sleep about 15 to 18 hours a day, but only in short periods of two to four hours. Premature babies may sleep longer and colicky ones shorter.

Since newborns do not yet have an internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, their sleep patterns are not related to the daylight and nighttime cycles. In fact, they tend not to have much of a pattern at all.

1-4 Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day
By 6 weeks of age your baby is beginning to settle down a bit, and you may notice more regular sleep patterns emerging. The longest periods of sleep run four to six hours and now tends to occur more regularly in the evening. Day-night confusion ends.

4-12 Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day
While up to 15 hours is ideal, most infants up to 11 months old get only about 12 hours sleep. Establishing healthy sleep habits is a primary goal during this period, as your baby is now much more social, and his sleep patterns are more adult-like.
Babies typically have three naps and drop to two at around 6 months old, at which time (or earlier) they are physically capable of sleeping through the night. Establishing regular naps generally happens at the latter part of this time frame, as his biological rhythms mature. The midmorning nap usually starts at 9 a.m. and lasts about an hour. The early afternoon nap starts between noon and 2 p.m. and lasts an hour or two. And the late afternoon nap may start from 3 to 5 p.m. and is variable in duration.

1-3 Years Old: 12 - 14 hours per day
As your child moves past the first year toward 18-21 months of age he will likely lose his morning nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10.
Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 and 8 a.m.

3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day
Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping, while at 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. New sleep problems do not usually develop after 3 years of age.

7-12 Years Old: 10 - 11 hours per day
At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.

12-18 Years Old: 8 - 9 hours per day
Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and well-being for teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous years. Now, however, social pressures conspire against getting the proper amount and quality of sleep.

I copied this directly from webmd because I think it is a great guide as to how much sleep your child needs throughout his life.  I am a FIRM believer in children going to bed at an appropriate time and getting an adequate amount of sleep.  How a child behaves and functions in a day is directly related to the quantity and quality of sleep he gets! 

Here's hoping for sweet slumber for you and yours! 

Fun on the Farm!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2443512

What it is:  Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm
Where to get it:  Toys R Us, also Target, Meijer, Wal-Mart, Amazon, Fisher Price website, ebay, garage sales, etc. 
Alternatives:  There are so many versions of the Fisher Price farm, which was originally released in 1967.  I am proudto say that my mother still has this barn with many of the people and animals that go with it!  You can also buy packs of animals at places like Toys R Us for relatively cheap (not Fisher Price brand).  If you don't have a barn, you can use a shoe box or something similar to make a pretend barn.  The important thing is to have several animals, something that can be their "home", and some pretend food for them. 
What to do with it:  The ideas are almost endless! 

1. If you child is just learning to communicate--

• work on imitating actions (feeding the animals, putting them on the barn, making them fall off, making them run), imitating sounds (moo, baabaa)--I prefer starting with a panting noise for a dog noise instead of woof-woof because it is much easier.  I also like the "raspberry sound" or "motor boat" sound for a horse instead of neigh-neigh for the same reason (think when a horse blows air out of its nose).  If your child is good at signing you can work on some of the animals signs, as well as eat or drink.

2.  If your child is using simple words--

• Personally I think you can never work enough on "fun" sounds with kids who are just learning to talk!  Animal sounds, snoring, eating/drinking, etc are all things you can work on.  This really gets the child warmed up and ready to talk.  Work on labeling items (animal names, what they are eating), what they are doing ("eating, drinking, running, sleeping, jumping"), and where they are ("in barn, on barn, under blanket")

3.  If your child is using phrases--

• Start by using simple, rote phrases such as "more cow", "horse please", etc.  Then you can begin to combine any of the above listed words, such as "cow eat", "horse sleep", "go dog".  Avoid modeling long, complicated sentences--these are too hard to imitate!

4.  Receptive language--

• Have your child identify the different animals.  Give them directions to do with the animals--"give your horse something to eat, make the cow go to sleep".  You can sort the animals so all the cows are together, all the pigs, all the horses, and so on. 

As always--happy playing! 

Signing Saturday: Milk

http://mykidentity.com/?p=229

If you would like to see a video of the sign, click HERE

I keep forgetting to acknowledge and thank my friend Nikki for the idea for "Signing Saturday"! 

Have a great day!

Communication at McDonalds: How to practice communicating during every day events.

This week, the woman who babysits my kids had her own kids home from school sick for a few days, and after begging and pleading multiple grandparents to come help with babysitting, I finally had to end up taking a day off to stay home.  At first I was stressed out by this change in my schedule, but then was able to view the day as a gift of time to spend with my children.  So we headed off to McD's for a special lunch! 

While there I watched my youngest son, now 11 months, bang on his tray and yell when his food was gone.  I quickly got in the mode of having him sign "more" when his tray was empty, and by the time we left the restaurant he was forming the sign better than I've ever seen him!

• The point is that you can practice communication anywhere, anytime.  Do not feel the pressure to carve 60 minutes out of each day to practice.  And do not feel guilty if you don't do that each day!  But DO try to use the moments you have with your children to their fullest. 

• If you child is beyond signing "more", you can move on to placing a drink and something to eat within sight but out of reach of him.  If he reaches for the drink, have him sign "drink" or "milk".  If he reaches for the nuggets/fries/apples, have him sign "eat", or if he can, the name of the food. 

• If he is at the point of imitating sounds, have him say "m" while signing "more" or "milk", and have him say "ee" when signing "eat". 

• If he is at the point of saying words, he can ask for food by saying "more" or asking for the item by name. 

• If he is at the point of combining words, he can say "more please," "milk please", "fries please," or "more milk please," etc. 

Have fun this week!

Time to share:  What tips do you have for communicating when out to eat?  How do you manage multiple children at a restaurant and still let everyone have a chance to talk?

Picture:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's

Signing Saturday: Drink

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/04/sign-of-the-week-drink/\

If you would like to see a video of the sign "drink", click here

AAP and bottle weaning

The following is information from the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding weaning your child from the bottle: 

Weaning from the Bottle

Article Body

​
Getting your child to give up his bottle can be challenging, but the AAP recommends weaning before 18 months of age. Otherwise, prolonged bottle use can cause tooth decay and may encourage your child to drink much more milk than he needs. When your baby reaches one year, start substituting a cup for his midday bottle. You can try a training cup with a spout, or put small amounts of liquid in a regular cup. Be patient - it may take a few weeks for him to figure out how to use the cup properly. Then start to eliminate the evening and morning bottles. Save the bedtime bottle for last, since it’s often the most difficult for your child to give up. By the time he turns one, his body should no longer require anything to eat or drink during the night - although he may briefly, and loudly, disagree. Your pediatrician can answer any questions you may have about weaning your child from his bottle.

​The above script is part of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) radio series 'A Minute for Kids,' which airs weekdays on WBBM-AM in Chicago, IL.

(http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/aap-press-room-media-center/Pages/Weaning-from-the-Bottle.aspx)

Picture from:  http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/plastic-bottles-toxins-water-bottles-460410#slide-1

Ready, Set....Go! Cars and Ramp

What it is: Fisher Price ramp and cars

Where to get it:  http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fisher-Price-Little-People-Racin-Ramps-Garage-Batteries-Bundle/22001191?tv2=true& (this is the site the picture was used from as well)

Alternatives:  There are many different styles of ramps, and more than just the Fisher Price brand!  This is not the exact ramp that I use, mine is a little smaller (more portable).  I love ramps that include a gas pump and elevator, and mine also has a car wash!  Do a google search or amazon search for toy ramps or Fisher Price ramps and you will get a plethora of options! 

What to do with it:
Action imitation--putting gas in the cars, driving them up and down the ramp, washing the cars, "crashing" the cars. 
 Sound imitation--car noises (vroom), "beep-beep", gas tank noises ("ssss"), car wash noise ("pshhhh"), amubulance/fire truck/police car noise ("oo-ee--oo--ee" or wee-oo-wee-oo", you can get creative), "whee!"
Expressive vocabulary development--car, up, down, go, stop, in, out. 
Phrase development--car go, car up, go down, stop car, gas in, etc...
Receptive language development--following directions--give me the car, put gas in the car, make the cars crash, etc...
Requesting--"more cars" (signing or spoken)
Why? Action imitation preceeds speech sound imitation, and speech sound imitation preceeds word imitation.  Action imitation also improves eye contact and interaction ("Early Language Development"). 

Developmental fact of the week:  By 24 months, speech is 50% intelligible. 

Have a good week!  Keep checking back for some posts on eating/drinking skills coming soon! 

Communication practice--at the haircut place??!!

This afternoon I took my youngest son, now 11 months old, to get his first real haircut.  There was about a 15 minute wait, and as much as I would have loved to relax with a magazine or catch up on my email, the new walking skills my son has developed completely prevented that from happening.  The shelves of neatly displayed shampoo, conditioner, and other assorted hair products would have been wiped clean in a nanosecond!  So instead we played, and practiced communicating. 

1.  Turn-taking/social games:  Logan pushed the chairs across the waiting area, I pulled them back.  Logan pushed the chairs across the waiting area, I pulled them back, and on, and on, and on (he squealed with delight the entire time).

2.  Action imitation:  Drumming and knocking on the seat of the chairs, clapping for Logan's amazing achievements (see #1).

3.  Sound imitation:  Engine noises as we pushed the chairs around.  "Uh-oh" when he fell down. 

The beauty of all of this is that Logan initiated it (versus me forcing something he wasn't interested in), it was wonderful fun for him, and the joy it brought him also had me laughing.  The more fun two people have while communicating, the longer the interaction will last.  We played one game for that 15 minutes, and it was repeated over and over.  Guess what Logan's new favorite word is?  "Uh-oh." 

Remember:  Repetition, repetition, repetition!  Fun, Fun, Fun!  Those are the keys to building new sounds and words in kids just learning to talk! 

Time to share:  What are some of the most random places that you've been able to "practice" communicating with your child? 

Signing Saturday: Eat

(http://billienoakes.com/2011/05/04/day-4-its-a-sign/)


Check out a video of the sign "eat" here
(www.signingsavvy.com)

The 4 S's

From "More Than Words:  Helping parents promote communication and social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder." Sussman, F. 

These ideas are also great for any child with a language delay!

Say Less
Stress
Go Slow
Show

Here is an example of what this would look like:
"Johnny, come over here right now and put all of this stuff away before you can get a cookie". (said while Mom is standing in the opposite side of the room from Johnny.)

What message do you think Johnny got out of this direction?  Most likely, "cookie."  He gets excited, then begins to meltdown when Mom doesn't have a cookie for him.  Mom might misinterpret the meltdown to mean that he doesn't want to clean up, and possibly yells at him or gives him a time out for not following directions.  Then Johnny is really upset!  What a mess!   

Using the 4 S's:

"Blocks.  In box.  Put blocks in box." Said while standing next to Johnny and pointing to the box.  In this example, Mom said much less, she exaggerated key words, and she used visual cues to help Johnny understand. 

Receptive language skills are typically impaired in children with autism. Therefore, some meltdowns could be a result of not understanding what has been said.

Proximity is also important.  Be near your child when giving directions, which could increase his understanding.

Try using the 4 S's this week when giving directions, and see if it makes a difference! 

Tip of the day

For a child who is just beginning to make sounds:
If he makes a sound, say it back to him.  If he makes the sound again, say it back to him again.  This is an early form of conversation.  After a few turns, you can change what you "say" to him, and see if he imitates you this time!

Example:
Child:  "ba!"
Mom:  "ba."
Child:  "bababa"
Mom:  "bababa"
Child:  "bababa"
Mom:  "mamama"
Child:  "mama"

Have fun!  I'm trying to get a video example of this with my son, but haven't been able to catch a good one yet.  Keep checking back! 

Signing Saturday: Done

If you would like to see a video of the sign, look here:  Video for all done

AAP and TV

The following information is from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

"The first two years of your child’s life are especially important in the growth and development of her brain. During this time, children need positive interaction with other children and adults. This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others is so important.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages TV and other media use by children younger than 2 years and encourages interactive play.

For older children, total entertainment screen time should be limited to less than 1 to 2 hours per day of educational,nonviolent programs, which should be supervised by parents or other responsible adults in the home."

Take home message: no "screen time" (which includes phones, iPads, video games, etc) for under the age of two. For kids older than two, no more than two hours of screen time per day.

Time to share: Is this feasible? Do you follow this advice in your home?  

                                                

                                              

Mealtime "More"



The other day as my family was sitting down to dinner, I did something that I always tell parents not to do...I noticed my son's high chair tray was empty, and absentmindedly scattered a handful of Cheerios for him to enjoy.  I immediately realized my mistake, and scooped up all but a few of them.  When those few were finished, I had him sign "more" before giving him any more Cheerios. 

The point is, mealtime is an excellent opportunity for communication with your children.  If you don't already, I recommend having at least one meal a day together as a family.  Sit down around the table, and if you don't have a kitchen table, at least sit around the coffee table, or on a rug on the floor.  The point is to be together, not each person in a separate room, not kids eating alone first and adults later, not kids wandering the room to eat.  Turn the TV off for those 30 minutes and enjoy conversation.

With older children, conversation is of course answering and asking questions.  You can get your little one in on the action as well, by teaching them the skill of turn-taking and requesting.  They can be required to ask for "more" by either verbalizing or signing.  They can say please and all done.  You can ask them "what's that?" questions to address the skill of answering questions and labeling. 

So far I haven't touched much on receptive language (understanding spoken language), but mealtime is a good opportunity to ask your child quesions such as "where's mama?  Where's dada?" as well as names of siblings and pets. 

There is so much communication that can occur during meal time--I could go on and on--but I will save this for a later post.  For now, remember to take advantage of the daily routine of eating, and enjoy this time as a family! 

Time to share:  What's your favorite way to get your littlest family members to communicate during mealtimes? 



Signing Saturday: Please

The sign for "please" is made by placing your flat right hand over the center of your chest.  Move your hand in a clockwise motion (from the observer's point of view, use a circular motion towards your left, down, right, and back up) a few times.  (http://lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/p/please.htm)

Watch a video of the sign please HERE

Bubblicious

What it is:  BUBBLES!!!

 Where to get it:   Almost anywhere, especially this time of year.  Target, wal-mart, grocery stores, dollar stores, and if you want to order on-line:  Here

Alternatives: There are also a variety of bubble making toys, including bubble machines and bubble guns.  These easily make a lot of bubbles, but I still prefer the traditional bubble tumbler and wand because it targets skills such as lip rounding, coordinating air flow, and lip strength. 

What to do with it:  sound development--/p/;  airflow coordination (blowing); expressive vocabulary development--"bubble, please, more, pop, up, down, big, little, my turn, your turn, wet, yuck, uh-oh, all gone.

Along with that you are developing skills of requesting, describing, and turn taking. Early two word combinations can also be targeted (my turn, more bubble, big bubble).  In the area of phonological development, the skills of initial consonants, final consonants, and two syllable words can be focused on.  

Why:  A child should begin to request objects/actions between 13-17 months (The Early Intervention Kit, Swigert), and begin to combine two words by 24 months.  Also, while it is important for a child to learn nouns (names of people/things), he should also learn other parts of speech including action words (verbs) and describing words (adjectives).  This helps increase the messages that your child can communicate. 

Turn-taking is an important skill as well.  By learning to take turns, a child is learning how to initiate social interactions with caregivers and peers, which is something he should begin to do between 12-24 months (The Early Intervention Kit,Swigert)

Fun developmental fact of the week:  A toddler will begin to imitate adult use of an object around 20 months (for example, using a rag to wipe off the table, holding phone to his ear.)  (Introduction to Language Development, McLaughlin)

Disclaimer

Please note that I am not compensated in any form for any of the products discussed in this blog. These are simply toys and products I have found to be very useful in my therapy sessions for achieving specific objectives. All opinions are my own! I have also found these, or similar items, to be products that many families already own.

Thanks, 
Leslie

Time to Sign: "More"

Signing "more" video

Baby Faces

What it is:  "Baby Faces" by Margaret Miller

Where to get it:  Baby Faces

Alternatives:  Baby Faces DK Publishing

Baby Faces Peek A Boo

What to do with it:  Facial imitation (wrinkle nose, stick out tongue, smile), action imitation (rub eyes for crying, arms in air for "yipee", wave hand by face for stinky), sound/exclamation imitation (uh-oh, yuck, mmm/yum, peee-ew, yay!) 

Why?  Motor imitation (such as facial and action imitation), preceeds speech imitation.  This is a skill that your child needs to master before imitating speech sounds.  In addtion, sound imitation comes before word imitation!  ("It Takes Two to Talk", Manolsen)

Practicing these skills while looking at a book gives your child both a pleasurable experience with you and with books, and gives him/her repetition of motor and sound imitation!  This also promotes eye contact and joint attention. 

Fun developmental fact of the day:  Children typically uses their first true word around their first birthday. 

Important: Please Read!

Please keep in mind that the tips and techniques shared in this blog are presented at a basic level to get you started in the right direction in helping your child with his/her speech. There are many factors that contribute to a child’s speech development, and the scope of this blog is not to address all of the issues, but to give insight at a basic level on how to help your child improve their speech & language as they grow. The information and links referenced on Easier Done Than Said are believed to be reliable. However, the content is neither exhaustive nor conclusive. It is intended to be used at the discretion of the reader.
Additionally, this information is not intended to replace the expertise and judgments of your speech language pathologist or other appropriate professional. If you feel your child has other more serious issues which may be affecting his/her speech, please contact your local professionals that will be able to work with you to be sure your child receives the best treatment possible.
Finally, feel free to print and distribute any of the articles or information found on Mommy Speech Therapy.com. I only ask that credit be given back to Easier Done Than Said and the web address (www.easierdonethansaid.blogspot.com) be visible somewhere on the page. Please be honest and do not copy any of this information and post it to your site or blog as your own.
Thank you! Leslie

(text copied from www.mommyspeechtherapy.com)

Stacking Up

What it is:  Discovery Toys stacking cups

Where to find it:  www.discoverytoys.com

Alternatives:  There are many other brands of stacking cups.  Check out the follwing:  Stacking cups

If you do not have, or do not want to buy, stacking cups, there are plenty of other options already in your home!  Try cans from your pantry, plastic containers from your cupboard, toilet paper rolls, books, etc. 


What to do with it:  take turns stacking (turntaking, joint attention), requesting recurrence (more), signing ("more", "please", "up"), requesting object (cup), describing, (up, down, colors, size), knock down (ready, set, go, boom, uh-oh, oh-no), color sorting, size sorting, use the cup as an echophone (vocalize into the cup), knock cups together (action imitation), beat on cups like a drum (action imitation), hide toys under the cups (object permanence), hide your eyes (peek a boo--social game/turn-taking), pretend to drink/give baby a drink (pretend play)

Why:  Action imitation--important for the development of other cognitive skills. Helps improve eye contact and interaction.  Turntaking--another important factor in childs development, and essential in conversation as speech and language develops.  Joint attention (a shared experience between a child and a partner)--an essential skill needed for language, speech, and social skills.  Requesting recurrence or objects and commenting on objects is first seen between 13-17 months of age.  Finally, early play behaviors are related to the development of communication skills, and therefore developing appropriate play skills is an important precursor to the development of communication skills.   

Fun developmental fact of the week:  By age 24 months, a child should be using approximately 50 words, and beginning to combine 2-3 words. 

The Beginning

My name is Leslie Garthaus. I am a speech language pathologist. I graduated from Illinois State University with my bachelors degree in speech pathology in 2004, and my masters degree in speech pathology in 2006. My internships included 11 weeks at Bloomington Junior High School, and 11 weeks at Decatur Memorial Hospital.  In June 2006 I began my career at a small, private company in Peoria, IL, Speech and Language Rehabiliation Services, where I worked with ages birth to 90+ years!  (Thanks to Danila, Donna, Nikki, Martha, Mandy, and Amy--wonderful coworkers and amazing SLP's!).  I worked with toddlers learning their first sign, their first picture exchange, their first sound, their first word, and with kids and adults using high tech augmentative communication devices.  I worked with articulation and phonological disorders, apraxia, and language disorders.  I worked with adults experiencing voice disorders and dysphagia.  Looking back on it, I am amazed and thankful for such a diverse population I worked with for those three years.  But, I also began to realize that what brought me the most joy were those 1 and 2 year olds who were imitating a sign, a gesture, a sound for the first time.  Early Intervention, or birth-3, is truly my passion.  So, in June 2009 I began working for my friend and colleague Erin Mueller, who had started her own company, Mueller Communication Connections, providing speech therapy and evaluations for Early Intervention.  In August 2010, feeling the need to maintain my skills working with older students, I joined the staff of Hammitt High School/The Baby Fold, a therapeutic day school, in their autism program.  I work there two days a week, and in Early Intervention 3 days a week.  There are many parallels between the highly involved students I work with at Hammitt and the 2 year olds I work with in Early Intervention, and have learned so much working there! 

One aspect of Early Intervenion that I love is the family-centered philosphy.  Services are typically provided in the most natural environment possible, mostly the child's home or daycare.  The family is involved in writing "outcomes" for their child, involved in the therapy session, and provided suggestions for practice at home.  It is so important for both the family and therapist to remember that therapy is provided for one hour (usually) per week.  There are 168 hours in a week.  That leaves a lot of time, to say the least, that the child spends without the therapist!  This means it is imperative that the family learn as many skills as possible to help their child during the other 167 hours a week that they aren't in therapy.  Which leads me to the goal of this blog...

I am a bag lady, and I know it.  I come in with my huge, red and white, monogrammed LL Bean canvas bag, filled to bursting with wonderful goodies.  Books, puzzles, Little People, Cars, animals, instruments...the stash changes weekly.  I perform my hour of therapy, review what I did with the family, provide verbal or written suggestions for the week, and dash out the door, my bag of tricks disappearing with me.  Hmm, now what, I imagine many parents think.  They continue on their typical week, a few "more" signs sprinkled in here, a couple of "my turns" there.  There must be more I can do.  So my idea behind "Easier Done Than Said" is to review, hopefully weekly if not more often, many of my favorite toys, home items, games, etc. that I use during therapy.  I would like to explain what you can do with these items, and more importantly, what is the PURPOSE of what we are doing!  It is much more than just "playing" folks, we just can't let the kids know that!  I want to give you, the parents/caregivers, the knowledge and tools to help your child for 168 hours a week!!  (well at least 100 hours a week:)  I have no idea what this blog will evolve into, but I count on comments, suggestions, reviews, ideas from all of the readers to help steer me in the direction you want it to.  Because FAMILY is the most important thing about my job!

(I also keep busy with my own family, a 4 year old daughter, 3 year old son, and 10 month old son:)

A special thank you to my friend, Kristin, for the title of my blog.  As a special education teacher, she understands that for many of our kids with language and learning disorders, motor skills are an area of relative strength; therefore for these kids, life truly is Easier Done Than Said.